The ‘Jane the Virgin’ actress on Latinidad

Actress Andrea Navedo, who plays Xiomara Villanueva in The CW’s ‘Jane the Virgin,’ sat down with Quail Bell Magazine’s founding editor at the Gregory Hotel in Manhattan for a quick chat. Here’s what she had to say about her Latino heritage and diversity in Hollywood:

Recently, I had my DNA done. I knew that I was of Puerto Rican heritage and I knew the history of Puerto Rico, but I was still surprised when I saw that my DNA perfectly spelled out the island’s history. Within my genetic code, there was evidence of Taíno Indian, Spanish, and African blood. To see that mixture of cultures and people on paper was a beautiful thing. The people of Puerto Rico go way back. I wish I had more of a relationship with Puerto Rico. I’ve tried the best that I can. I was born and raised in New York City to parents who were also born and raised in New York City but whose parents came from Puerto Rico. My first language was English, so when I was 11 years old, my parents sent me to live with my grandmother in Puerto Rico for one month. Though my grandmother spoke English, my other relatives did not. I remember experiencing shame, this feeling that I didn’t quite fit in Puerto Rico, but I didn’t feel like I quite fit in mainstream American culture, either. ​

When I got to college, I studied Spanish and spent three months abroad in Mexico. There, I lived with a family and learned so much Spanish. Then I went to Cuba to study at the University of Havana for a month. In Europe, people seem to speak a minimum of three languages. I think we should be teaching a second language from kindergarten and that students should be able to follow that language all the way through high school. I felt the lack of Spanish instruction growing up. I could be doing much more acting if I were super native fluent in Spanish. In any industry, for any job, speaking a second language gives you a one-up over people who speak only one language.

It’s been an ongoing quest for me to claim my identity as a Latina, a Puerto Rican woman. I do feel Puerto Rican, even though I wasn’t born and raised in Puerto Rico. To me, that’s probably the place where I belong the most. It’s in my heart. Growing up in the Bronx, I was surrounded by other Puerto Ricans. There were so many flag-waving Puerto Ricans. I remember going to St. James Park sometimes and there would be conga players there—all Puerto Rican men having a jam session. That’s one of the things that connected me to Puerto Rico, the music and the historical influences you hear in the music. I love it so much. I always felt that I belonged in the Bronx, but when I watched television growing up, I didn’t see myself reflected there. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to become an actor.

My motto for success as an actor has simply been showing up. Showing up to acting classes, to auditions, to the gym. As Latinos, we have to show up and represent ourselves. I don’t consider myself an activist on most levels, but sometimes I think I am in my own quiet way. It goes back to showing up. When I showed up for the audition of Jane the Virgin, I showed up prepared. I showed up with a lot of years of experience of acting under my belt. As a Latina, I know that there are not a lot of roles for me out there. Just by my very presence speaking to you right now about being Latina and the pride that I have, to me, that’s activism. When young Latinos see me on television, I want them to think, “Oh, hey, that’s me. I can see myself in there. I count. I have a voice.” That’s my activism—showing up.

I want Jane the Virgin to have a positive effect on young Latinos in particular and young people in general. Our message on Jane the Virgin is one of inclusion. It’s such a diverse show and it’s not just because we have Latinos in the cast. It’s also because we have other people of color and a very strong female presence on the show. It’s groundbreaking. It’s not billed as a Latino show. It’s billed as a mainstream show. That’s really important. It gives the younger generations who are going to be coming up and taking our places the notion that the world is diverse. We all count. It’s not Us vs. Them. It’s us together. The more our children see such inclusion and see different kinds of people cooperating together, the more they think that should be the norm.

​I have two kids, a son who’s nine and a daughter who’s 12. My brother-in-law is gay and he has a partner. My kids see them together all the time and it’s not a big deal to them. It’s just Uncle Robert and Uncle Andrew. Nobody bats an eyelash. They ask me why people are so cruel. I want all young people to have that mindset—that we should strive for inclusion, not exclusion. And Jane the Virgin is making that statement. In that sense, it is an activist show.

Though ‘Jane the Virgin’ has been renewed for Season 4, the exact premiere date has not yet been announced.